Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to a continuous ink jet printer in which a stream of ink is broken into individual droplets which are then charged and deflected as required in order to form indicia on a substrate. In particular, embodiments of the present invention relate to a system for aligning a charge tunnel with other components of an ink jet printer.
A continuous inkjet printhead typically incorporates a drop generator having a nozzle that breaks an ink stream into uniformly spaced droplets. The ink drops can typically vary in diameter from 0.003-0.009 inch. The ink drops formed by a nozzle are charged in a charge tunnel which allows them to be deflected in a high voltage field to desired spots on a substrate. For optimum charging of drops, the charge tunnel gap is as narrow as practical considerations allow. In order for the printhead to run clean, it is desirable to align the ink stream well centered in the charge tunnel and into the catcher to gather the non-deflected drops.
Typically, the components of a printhead, including the drop generator, the charge tunnel, and the catcher, need to be aligned properly during servicing and normal use, in order to ensure that the printing system operates properly. In order to properly align these components, many printing systems include additional alignment components used in conjunction with a printhead to properly align the ink stream. These components add size and expense to the printhead.
Thus, a need exists for an efficient and accurate way to align the printhead components.